20 December 2023

My board colleagues and I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year as we move towards the end of 2023. I'm looking forward to getting into my new role as Board Chair and connecting with the community after being elected in October.

The last 12 months has been a busy time for our community, with some of the highlights being:

• Hearing many of the positive stories from our community who started Trikafta in April - gaining better health, getting new jobs, marriage, and pregnancy.
• The Board working through a revised constitution for our membership which is laying the foundation for our future endeavors.
• Welcoming several exceptional individuals to our board, including Kristina Jeffrey, Evangelia Henderson, Kayne Dunlop and Simon Stanley-Harris, forming a robust team with diverse skills and experiences that align with our goals.
• Lisa assembling a strong team to support all our operational work, positioning us well for the future challenges through their diligent efforts in establishing modern systems and processes, coupled with well-reviewed policies.

We'd also like to acknowledge Warwick Murray and Zac Fargher who are stepping down from our Board. A big thank you to them both for their wonderful and very appreciated service. We wish them well for their future endeavors.

It's been an incredibly busy year, and while we all look forward to the break, these highlights remind us that although significant progress has been made this year it's still increasingly clear that although medicines are an important tool and, in some cases, can be life-changing, they are not a cure, and won't work for everyone. CFNZ is here to support every Kiwi with CF and their families.

Finally, I want to thank our dedicated volunteers and team, and the generosity of our donors - without your devotion to our community and cause we would not have achieved all that we have in 2023.

Once again have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and we look forward to re-connecting in the New Year.

Dame Pieter Stewart
CFNZ Board Chair